The first date, A forced date
by lucky amithyst
Summary: it's Lily and James' first date, but is it a forced date?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one **

Lily was sitting in the common room, reading a book. She felt someone sit beside her and looked up to see a messy haired, hazel eyed boy grinning at her.

"What do you want Potter?" she had received really bad marks in potions and was not in a mood to talk to James.

"Nothing, just seeing what you're doing" he said, with a cheesy smile.

"Nothing that concerns you, I assure" she snapped.

"Now, now, why are we in such a grumpy mood?"

"_We_ are grumpy because _you _are currently sitting here"

"But that can't be helped, can it, love?"

"Don't call me that"

"Why not, sweetheart?"

"Not that either"

"Ok, none of them, _honey_"

Lily rolled her eyes "you're never going to change are you?"

"Nope" was the simple reply

They sat in silence for few moments, then-

"So what about going to Hogsmade with me?"

"What about just giving up on me?"

"What about saying yes just once?"

"What about accepting denial at once?"

James looked thoughtful for a few moments then said slowly and deliberately, "I have a feeling you will say yes this time"

"I think you didn't understand but I already said no" and with that lily picked up her book and headed towards the 7th year girls dormitory.

Lily climbed the marble steps and opened the wooden door at the first landing. Inside she could see her three friends- Marcy, Daphne and Kate sitting huddled together on the ground.

Marcy Brown had curly, shoulder length brown hair, light blue eyes and a slightly tanned athletic body. She was one of the best Gryffindor chaser there ever was and put her heart and soul into Quidditch. Her love for adventure usually got Lily and her friends in trouble, but they ended up discovering so many secret passages and hiding places, that they were a pretty tough competition for the Marauders. Marcy had barged into Lily's compartment in the train to Hogwarts, chasing her owl which had flown out of its cage. Lily had helped her catch her owl and they had been friends ever since.

Daphne Anderson had jet black waist length hair and deep blue eyes. She was the prettiest girl in the year and boys simply drooled over her. She took great care to dress herself and nobody knew more about clothes than her, she even managed to make her school robes look really good.

Kate Hamlyn had red hair and brown eyes. She loved reading books and preferred to stay inside. When Marcy, Daphne, and Lily had first met her she had been shy as a mouse, but 7 years with her friends, she had become more open and mostly liked to stay outdoors. The teachers said that they had spoilt Kate and she had been good when she came, but her friends paid no attention knowing that they were the best thing that ever happened to Kate.

Lily often wondered how she, Macy, Daphne and Kate, such different people, had become friends, but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"Hey", said Lily, dropping her book and herself on her bed.

The three girls started, they hadn't been expecting Lily to come. Lily looked at them suspiciously; it was evident from their faces they had been talking about her.

"What were you talking about?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing very important, just the marauders, " Replied Marcy.

Lily still continued to look suspicious; she opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. After all, they were always talking about how cute she and James look with each other, that might be what it was now.

"Don't you have anything else to talk about than those troublemakers?" she said.

"That's exactly what I tell them," said Kate. Lily sighed in relief; at least there was someone who didn't worship the marauders.

"But they're just so good looking!" cried Daphne, "especially Remus" she added, somewhat dreamily.

Lily, Marcy and Kate sighed exasperatedly. Daphne had recently started dating Remus, and couldn't keep quiet about his qualities.

"He's just the most talented guy there is" she said, looking dreamily out of the window. Marcy snorted, "last year you were ready to strangle anyone who disagreed with you about Frank Longbottom being the best boy at everything in the world."

Daphne ignored the comment and continued staring fixedly out of the window, though a blush could be seen creeping up on her face. Marcy opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted.

"Lily, can I borrow book on advanced transfiguration?" Said a voice from the doorway. Lily turned to see a fifth year girl standing on the floor landing.

"Of course, Gabriela" Lily said, "Just let me find my bag," and started moving aside things in order to find her bag. Marcy, Daphne and Kate tensed up and started fidgeting with their school robes. Lily opened her closet and quite a number of things, including a stuffed cat she had never before seen, fell out. She searched in her closet, but finding everything but her bag, looked up to see her friends' guilty faces. Then it dawned on her.

"Gabriela, I can't find my bag, can you go ask someone else?"

"Ok" she said, before sprinting down the stairs. Then Lily rounded on her friends.

"Ok, games up, give it back" she said somewhat sternly.

"Give what back?" said Daphne nervously.

"My bag, what else!" she was getting angrier by the second.

"We- we don't have it", said Kate, slightly stammering.

"Don't play games with me," and now Lily looked downright furious.

Marcy decided the game was up. "James transfigured it"

"JAMES WHAT?!" cried Lily not believing her ears.

"He transfigured it into that cat," confirmed Marcy, pointing to the stuffed cat which was lying on the floor. Lily didn't wait for an answer but rushed down to the common room. She saw James standing in the corner, playing with his wand.

"Change my bag back!" she cried furiously. James looked up with a mild look of surprise on his face. "Oh don't worry, I will, on one condition."

"And what will that be?"

"That you go out on a date with me" he replied simply. Lily seemed to be fighting an inward battle. James took the opportunity, "you wouldn't want to miss classes will you?"

"How did you get hold of my bag, anyway?"

"Oh, your friends are pretty helpful, you know" he said, grinning, "see you at the great hall, tomorrow twelve in the noon" and with that he went up to the boy's dormitory.

Lily trudged up to her dormitory, thinking hard. She walked up to the stuffed animal and started casting spells at it. All she achieved was to make herself angrier.

"It won't work" said Kate quietly, "he put really advanced spells on it, such that only he can break." Lily decided Kate was right and stopped trying to transfigure it back. She turned to her friends, instead. "Why don't you guys go and tell him to change my bag back? I know he forced you to give it to him but I'm sure he'll listen to you." Lily looked at their nervous faces for some time, then, "you didn't do this out of your own will, did you?"

"We're so sorry, Lils!" cried Marcy, "it's for the best, really, it is!"

Lily looked disbelievingly at their faces, "what kind of friends have I got?"

"Really, Lily, we're just so sorry, but it's going to be fun, believe me" said Daphne.

Kate nodded her head eagerly, "Just give that boy a chance, just one chance, it'll pay off in the end, you'll see."

"Whatever" said Lily flinging herself on her bed. She had had a very tiring day and was in no mood to argue.

Marcy smiled, relieved. "Go to sleep now, you'll wake up better in the morning."

"Let's see." And with that Lily went to sleep.


	2. chapter 2

**Chapter two **

Lily woke up next morning to find the dormitory in a mess. Her friends were going through her clothes and they were scattered all over the floor.

"Why are you messing up my clothes?" she asked sleepily.

"We have to find something suitable for you to wear on your date" replied Daphne. And then Lily remembered yesterday's happenings.

"Here" said Daphne, handing her a pile of clothes, "go and change."

Lily looked at the clothes and groaned, "Do I need to wear these?"

"You are not planning to wear your uniform, are you?" said Daphne, shoving Lily inside the bathroom.

Lily came out 10 minutes later and walked straight to the mirror.

She was wearing black strappy sandals (which Daphne had transfigured from her sneakers), a pair of dark, skinny jeans (which Daphne had so _generously _lent her), and a red halter neck top (which had been gifted to her by Daphne; one she had never worn and never planned to wear either). All in all, she was looking quite a lot like Daphne.

"Why can't I just wear my regular jeans and sweatshirt? It's just a Hogsmade trip." She said wearily.

""because, sweetie, this is a date and not _just _a hogsmade trip," replied Daphne.

"A date with potter."

"A date nevertheless."

Lily looked at Marcy for support, after all, she was her one friend who still didn't know the difference between a lipstick and an eye liner, and you could easily mistake her for a boy if you didn't know better.

"Marcy, please talk Daphne into letting me wear what I want to."

"Come on, Lily, it's a date after all, you should dress especially for it," was the reply she got.

"Fine! Don't let me do what I want to! I'm ok with it!" she cried and started to walk down the stairs. Her friends looked at each other, not knowing what to do, then decided to follow her down.

They reached the entrance hall to find it packed with students all excited to go to Hogsmade. Remus and Peter were talking in the center of the hall; Daphne ran to Remus and flung herself on him. He abandoned Peter and started walking towards Hogsmade with Daphne. Marcy, Kate and Peter started talking about random things as they followed their friends towards Hogsmade. Lily started searching for James and found him in a faraway corner, talking to Sirius.

"What if she doesn't come? What if she decides her books are not important? What if she tells some teacher? What if she discovers how to transfigure it back? What if, Sirius, _what if_?"

Sirius, who had been laughing all throughout his friend's speech, now said seriously (pun definitely intended!) "James, stop it, you know she's going to come and you to will have a great time, mark my words. Oh! And there she is, making her way here!"

"Where? I can't see her. Wait! Now I can and -WOW!" James stopped short, he'd just seen Lily and was rubbing his eyes to check what he saw was true. Lily had never looked like this. NEVER! Lily walked up to James and surveyed his disbelieving expression.

"Daphne's doings, all Daphne's goings."

"I thought so, the Lily I know would never dress up like a girl!" said Sirius.

"Shut it Padfoot, she's looking gorgeous," said James, in a slightly defensive tone.

"Ok, ok, I shall do as my master bids me," he said and gave a woof. James patted him on the head, "good boy."

Lily looked at them in disgust, "how very immature are you!"

"What's wrong in doing what my master says? I shall follow my master everywhere." whined Sirius, imitating a five year old.

James looked alarmed, "no you won't!"

Sirius smirked, "of course not, idiot, do you think I have nothing to do but hang around you two for the whole day? I have a date of my own."

"Really, who?" asked Lily, curious.

"Ashley!" beamed Sirius.

"That 6th year Hufelpuff?" asked James.

"Yup, that's the one!" And with on last "woof" he sprinted across the hall to a strawberry blond standing at the other end.

"So, may I?" asked James, bowing down and offering his hand.

"This is not a ballroom Potter," snapped Lily, in a tone which reminded James very much of professor McGonagall. She strode past him to the double oak doors leading outside Hogwarts, at a pace which reminded James furthermore of said professor.

"Wait for me Lily!" he called after her. Running and panting he reached her.

"Merlin, Lily! Why are you walking so fast?"

"Not that fast!"

"You're walking like you're going to win a race!"

"Of course not, I'm walking normally." Though she slowed down a little, knowing full well that she _was_ walking at a speed an average person would jog at. But why? Was she nervous? Nervous about a date with Potter?

She looked up to see James facing away from her. He was looking at some first years trying to fly on a broom on the Quiditch pitch.

"They'll be the next stars of Hogwarts, I'm sure!" beamed James proudly.

Lily looked up at them again; one boy was falling off his broom, another was tangled in a tree, two girls crashed together, and another broke his broom. The last one to stay airborne was currently hanging on his broom, screaming for help.

"Yup, the best players I ever saw," snorted Lily.

James looked offended, "that's just their first flight. When I flew the first time, I crashed strait into the whomping willow."

Lily stared at him for a moment then burst out laughing. "Crashed into the whomping willow? The current Gryffindor captain flew strait into the whomping willow? "

"Hey! Nobody is perfect on their first flight!" said James indignantly.

"Whatever, like I care about Quiditch, it's just a dangerous sport."

James smirked. Lily's dislike for Quiditch had developed in their fourth year, when Lily had been dating Amos Diggory. He had decided to take Lily on his broom for a ride. When up in the air, he'd lost his grip on her and Lily had fallen head first on the ground. Thankfully the damage was not much as she hadn't fallen too hard, and she was up and about in two weeks. Though she never forgave Amos and, much to James's delight, broke up with him.

"It's not that bad also; we can go on a ride tomorrow."

"Absolutely not!"

"Come on it's not that bad, really!" persuaded James, "unless you want to spend tomorrow in some broom cupboard," he added cheekily.

"Don't push it Potter."

"It's James."

"Sorry?" Lily looked up, startled.

"It's my name after all, you can call me that," he replied. When Lily continued to look blankly at him he grew a little worried.

"My name, its James, not Potter. Maybe you've been calling me Potter for too long, maybe you have forgotten! James! It's James! Not Potter!"

Lily stared at him for a while and then burst out laughing.

"Obviously I remember stupid! I don't have such a bad memory." After a moment's pause, "it's just that I've been calling you Potter for too long now, but if you want I'll call you James."

James didn't say anything but merely nodded. By this time they had reached the carriages that would take them to Hogsmade. They got in and sat in silence for the rest of the ride, both lost in their own thought. They got out of the carriage and started walking. They hadn't even covered a hundred meters when people started pointing and staring at them. Lily knew they would, she and James had been enemies ever since 1st year, but still it was awkward.

She could see a girl running around to everyone and making them look at her and James. 1st years were gawking at them as if they were zombies. A boy went as far as clicking their photo while they walked. When they walked into the three broomsticks Madam Rosmerta really surprised, looked up, nearly dropping a bottle of butter beer. Even professor Dumbledore, who was sitting at a table reading a newspaper, looked up with surprise, though he quickly went back to his newspaper; unlike others who were staring openly at them.

Lily sat down on a table while James went to get the butter beer. He got back and they drank in silence, still lost in their own thoughts. James looked around to see where his friends were; Peter, Kate, Marcy and a group of other Gryffindors were laughing and talking noisily at a big table. Remus and Daphne were sitting at a far corner, just gazing into each other's eyes. Sirius and Ashley were snoging at a table not very far from them. He looked back at Lily. She was staring furiously at anybody who dared to look in their direction. She had managed to pry away most eyes, though some were still sneaking glances at them.

"Everybody seems quite interested in us, don't you think so?" James asked.

"Well we haven't actually been the best of friends have we?" Lily replied, still glaring at some kid.

"That's because you have insisted on not ever saying a kind word to me."

"That's because you have insisted on always troubling me."

This conversation was cut short by the arrival of professor Dumbledore at their table.

"Relief to see our head girl decided to come here, or I would have to hunt the castle for her," he said, with a smile. "I needed to give you this notice," he continued, giving Lily a piece of paper. "Put this up on the notice board, it's about the replacement of our defense against the dark arts teacher," he concluded, preparing to leave. "Now I must go, I trust you to put this up, Miss Evans, enjoy you two!" and James could have sworn he saw Dumbledore wink before he left.

"What's written on the paper?" asked James.

"It's a notice about a change in our DADA teacher. Professor Gunther Lego is currently in the hospital, so he's going to be replaced," said Lily, reading the notice.

James smirked, "how do you think Marcy would react to this?"

Lily smiled, "she'd be proud maybe."

It had been Marcy who had landed their worst DADA teacher in the hospital. Professor Lego had told them to duel each other, and he had made Marcy and Bellatrix Lestrange partners. The duel had been only of defense spells but Marcy and Bellatrix had moved on to all the gruesome spells, and even charms. Bellatrix and Marcy both had together thrown the memory charm. The spells hit each other and struck professor Lego, landing him in .

"I feel sorry for professor Lego, but at least we got rid of him," commented Lily.

"You're right, I hope nobody gets that sort of teacher, and if they do, I hope it's my son and his friends who land him in the hospital with the memory charm," said James.

After discussing the subject of teachers a little more, and having finished their butter beer, they decided to leave.

"Where shall we go now?" asked James after they had come out of the pub.

"Well, I had to buy a present for my mum, her birthday is coming," said Lily.

James face brightened, "ohhhhhhhh, we can go to Honeydukes and buy her lots of wizard sweets."

"I don't think so, she doesn't like sweets so much, I was thinking of a CD perhaps?" suggested Lily.

"Ok, sounds good, let's go," and they started walking towards the CD shop.

The CD shop was a small, clustered room with thousand of CDs. It was owned by a middle aged woman called Audrey. James and Lily entered the shop to find it packed with teens browsing the shop for their favorite singers.

"What may I help you with?" asked the shop owner, walking towards Lily and James.

"We wanted those special CDs, the ones which have wizard songs but work on muggle CD players also," replied Lily.

"That section's at the back, hope you find what you're looking for." And with that, the owner walked over to some other customer.

Lily and James made their way towards the back and less crowded section of the shop. They stopped in front of a shelf labeled "wizard music for muggles; now even wizards with muggle parentage can enjoy their favorite music at home." The next fifteen minutes were spent going through the long shelf stuffed with CDs. They finally chose 'white angels' and 'songs for skeletons' by Robert Red. They bought the CDs and made their way outside.

"I hope she likes them, Robert Red is her type of music," said Lily. "I'll go to the muggle market to call her and ask her about the CDs on her birthday," she added.

James looked slightly confused, "call her? You mean call her to Hogwarts?"

"Not call her here stupid, call her from a telephone," said Lily, smiling.

"A tinybone? Is it that device muggles use to talk to each other?"

"Not a tinybone, a _telephone_."

James continued to look confused. "But how are you going to talk to her through that thing?"

"You see, a network carries our voices to the each other, so we can talk."

"A network? Is there a net somewhere in between?""

"Not a network as in a net. A network is a connection between to phones."

"Connection? But how can two objects be connected from here to your home? It's impossible."

Now Lily was getting irritated. "Our voices are carried in the air, that's how they reach the other person."

"Wow! But your voices must take quite some time to reach the other person if they have to journey y that far!"

Now Lily was completely frustrated. "They reach the other person in less than a second, they have a really fast speed and if you still can't understand then I can't do anything about it."

James face cleared, "so it's a bit like floo network, just in this you do not reach the other person, but you're voice does."

"Alleluia!" said Lily sarcastically.

James grinned foolishly, "you can't really blame me, it's a difficult concept."

"Whatever. Where do you want to go now?" Lily asked.

"Honeydukes, maybe?" said James hopefully.

"Ok then, you look pretty hungry; better give you something before you decide to eat yourself."

Lily and James made their way to Honeydukes and bought as many sweets as they could buy. They came out and sat down under a tree on the grass, to munch on the remaining sweets (half of them having been gobbled by James in the short journey from Honeydukes to a patch of grass.) after they had finished they sat munching on the remaining crumbs, until James broke the silence-

"So, want to go somewhere interesting?"

"Interesting as in?" inquired Lily, knowing full well interesting places could easily get them into trouble.

"Oh, it's just a quiet and peaceful place, I go there lots of times," Reassured James.

"Ok then, whatever you say."

And with that James got up, threw the sweet packets, and started walking, Lily following him to whatever place James had in mind.

**A/N: So how did you like it? Is it good? This is my first attempt at a fanfic so I don't know how good it is… but do tell, review please! It feels so good when someone reviews, and it only takes two minutes. I'll write more as soon as possible, till then, enjoy this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

James and Lily started walking away from the village. They were just crossing the shrieking shack when they heard a voice call their names. They turned around and saw Thomas Brown standing there, grinning wickedly. James scowled at him. Even though he was sorted in Gryffindor he was hated by most of the house. He was as bad as the Slytherins and mostly hung out with them only. Even now he was standing with Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Hey Potter! Come here! Let's see if you are brave enough to go inside the shrieking shack!"

James ignored him and continued on his way.

"Scared, Potter?" came the drawling voice of Malfoy.

"Not in your life, Malfoy," snarled James.

"Then come prove it, go inside the shrieking shack," challenged Malfoy. James starting making his way towards the shrieking shack, ready to show them he was not a coward. Lily caught his arm.

"Are you crazy? You're taking these idiots seriously? They're not even brave enough to go themselves."

"You stay out of this, mudblood!" spat Narcissa.

James grew furious, "what did you call her?"

"I just called her what she is," said Narcissa, nose in the air. James moved towards her, a murderous look on his face. She shifted behind Malfoy.

"Don't you dare touch my sister!" cried Bellatrix. James ignored her and continued moving towards her.

"Apologies," he snarled.

"Really, James, it's not necessary," said Lily, grabbing his hand. James turned towards her. "They called you a….. You know what they called you!"

"It's ok James! Relax! It's no use getting into a fight with them; you'll just end up into trouble!"

James still looked as if he would go after the group of slytherins, but then thought better of it, after all Lily was right, why waste a splendid date on these filthy scumbags? James turned and started walking in the direction he was going before the interruption. The slytherins shouted insults behind his back but, to Lily's relief, he ignored them.

They journeyed a little more up a mountain and entered a forest.

"Uh, James? Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Yes of course! I come here so many times; it'll just take a moment more."

They walked on, entering a little deeper into the forest. Suddenly he came to a stop, Lily stopping beside him. They were standing in front of a cave, a cave so hidden you couldn't have spot it. James headed inside, Lily following him.

"Whoa!" said Lily. She had expected the cave to be bare, but inside were quite a number of thing strewn on the ground. Brooms, chocolate wrappers, toys from the joke shop were just the starting.

"Do you live here or what?"

"Not really, my friends and I come here a lot, though."

"I see," said Lily, sitting down on a broken chair.

"All this broken furniture is just discarded furniture from Hogwarts, we know where to find it and bring it hear," explained James, making a seat on the moth eaten bed.

Lily was silent for a moment, then said, "me and Petunia once found a cave. Our summer home had a forest behind it and we discovered a cave deep inside. We used to go there every year, we used to have so much of fun… until…."

"Until?" James prompted her.

"My letter arrived," Lily hung her head.

James knew she was talking about her Hogwarts letter. He knew that things weren't really good between the two sisters and that was because Lily had gone to Hogwarts.

"She just stopped talking to me after that, we didn't play as we used to, she completely abandoned the cave and refused to say a polite word to me. When I ask her why she acts like this, she just says wizards and witches are just rubbish and abnormal," said Lily in a hollow whisper with tears in her eyes.

Now James knew this was a complete lie. He knew Petunia was just jealous of Lily, and he knew Lily knew it too.

"She's just jealous, that's all, don't give much thought to her," he said.

"But I can't stop thinking about her, she's my sister after all," now the tears were coming fast out of Lily's eyes.

James went over to her and gave her a comforting hug, "she's not worth that much thought, Lils," he said softly, "if she really loves you, she'll come around one day, I'm sure of that."

"I think I've been really mean to her, lost in my own world of magic, I just haven't paid her enough attention."

James chuckled softly, "Lily and mean to someone? I don't think so. And you're not her personal secretary to pay her so much attention, as far as I know you're really caring and it's her who should think about you."

"But she really hates me!"

"She'll come around, don't worry. Once upon a time even you used to hate me, but look now, you're actually on a date with me, even though I forced you to come."

"I never hated you James. I might have really disliked you for some time but not hate you. We did have all those wars and we did act like enemies but half of them were just playfully fought."

James smiled ruefully, "I guess so."

"I just used to get very angry because you irritated me so much, when we were young. You used to ask me out every other day, why didn't you just give up?"

"Well you see," started James slowly, "every other girl except for you would go out with me. So I got really pissed out when you didn't agree to. I decided I was going to make you, and soon it just became a habit, I asked you out whenever I got a chance." James paused and then continued, "But soon I realized I love you, and stopped it, but then this idea of transforming your bag struck me and I decided to give it a try, I'm sorry, though."

Lily opened her mouth to reply, when she heard a strange noise, "what's that?" she asked James.

"I don't know," said James, listening intently, he knew this sound was familiar….. Could it be?...

He banished the thought from his head, that was absurd.

"Let's check," he said to Lily.

He stood up and started walking towards the entrance of the cave with Lily in a protective grip under his arm.

Outside the full moon was shining bright, and the stars could be seen clearly, it was a cloudless night and had an eerie sensation to it. James and Lily came to the opening of the cave, and looked for the source of the sound…. Then they both let out a horrific gasp.

**A/N: so here is the third chapter, I hope you liked it. I'm sorry to update so late but with so much of work it has been difficult to write.**

**The cave which Lily and James now are is the same cave Sirius took refuge in "The Goblet Of fire", if you didn't realize. What James and Lily saw outside the cave is going to come in the next chapter, you guess in the comments till then, there is a hidden clue. Anyway, please comment and tell me how it is, Bye! **


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